Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/498427
May 2015 WINES&VINES 51 PACKAGING Society is evolving, and technology is too. My role as a winemaker is to make a product that I am proud of and reflects who I am. "I take ownership and want to make sure that each customer gets the best product. Unlike natural corks that have a degree of incon- sistency (the bark is slightly dif- ferent on the north and south side of the tree and from one tree to another), the screwcap is a more reliable product and offers less risk to the consumer such as TCA and oxidation." For Van Duzer, design work in the switch to screwcap involved nothing more than trans- ferring existing artwork from capsules to Stelvin tops. "I started bottling all my wines, in- cluding a 10-month-aged Cabernet, in screwcap in 2003," said Dave Coffaro, owner/winemaker at David Coffaro Vine- yard & Winery in Geyserville, Calif. "Do winemakers want their wines to age as long as possible? I think the answer would be screwcap closures; but of course if you want your wines to age faster, it would be cork." With annual wine production of 5,000 cases, 100% of which is now sold DtC, Coffaro brings a long-term perspective to the closure question with his winery founded in 1994. "I want my wines to last forever," he told Wines & Vines. His decision to go screwcap began in the 1990s, when he bought half a case of Central Valley Cabernets and found most of them corked. "Someone I respected from Australia" persuaded him to make the leap. He began experimenting with tin- and Saranex-lined screwcaps in 2004, and now uses tin-lined Stelvin closures, which provide him with su- perior engraving décor on the "capsules." He acknowledged that applying screwcaps necessitates "frequent tweaking" of bottling line equipment to maintain consistency. The process itself is perhaps more arduous: "You have to take the air out and put nitrogen in." But, he added, "Screwcaps are far less expen- sive than cork/capsule: 20 to 50 cents per bottle." What the market says "People are followers," Coffaro said. But he's not dealing with distributors or retail and does not report any resistance to the closure. "If I Winemaker Dave Coffaro says the use of screwcaps requires 'frequent tweaking' of bottling line equipment. TTB LABEL APPROVALS Low per-label costs Gov't. Liaison Negotiations or Footwork Reasonable Hourly Rates TRADEMARK SEARCHES As Low as $185 Your trade names or designs are searched at the U.S. Patent Office to help establish valuable ownership or avoid costly legal liability. Over 100 years' total staff experience handling every government liaison need for industry. Phone or write for details. 200 N. Glebe Rd., Suite 321 Arlington, Virginia 22203 Phone: (703) 524-8200 Fax: 525-8451 TOLL-FREE 1-800-642-6564 Major Credit Cards Accepted www.trademarkinfo.com Since 1957 GovtLiaison_Dir08 11/29/07 2:00 PM Pag Coffaro's tin-lined screwcap capsules are engraved.